Mercy Health Hospitals Earn Environmental Excellence Awards

As a mission-based organization, Mercy Health has a continued commitment to the health and wellbeing of the patients and communities it serves. That includes a commitment to developing a sustainable culture through environmental stewardships and working with others to protect the environment and communities' health now and for future generations.

Through efforts coordinated by a collaborative council of multi-disciplinary stakeholders across our ministry, Bon Secours Mercy Health and hospitals in Tiffin, Willard and Defiance implemented sustainable initiatives that earned environmental excellence awards from Practice Greenhealth, a leading sustainability member organization for hospital networks.

Locally, Mercy Health - Tiffin Hospital, Mercy Health - Willard Hospital and Mercy Health - Defiance Hospital were recognized as Partners for Change. Additionally, Mercy Health - St. Vincent Medical Center, Mercy Health - St. Anne Hospital and Mercy Health - St. Charles Hospital were recognized with Partner Recognition. Throughout the ministry, 31 BSMH hospitals received either the Partner for Change or Partner Recognition from Practice Greenhealth.

"We are pleased that Practice Greenhealth has highlighted Mercy Health's commitment to the environment in the Willard, Tiffin and Defiance hospitals," said Julie Landoll, director of Mission for Mercy Health - Toledo Rural Market. "The connection between the health of the earth and the health of our community is clear and we are excited to deepen our efforts toward sustainability."

Among the initiatives that led to these recognitions include:

• Tiffin Hospital, Willard Hospital and Defiance Hospital in the Toledo market have all become leaders in sustainability. In 2021, the Toledo market put together a sustainability council containing market physicians and leaders to help lead the market in sustainability efforts.
• Efforts such as following guidelines to place only the most necessary hazardous items in waste boxes. This eliminated the amount of hazardous waste at all three hospitals.
• In Defiance, Desflurane was removed from Mercy Health's acute care formulary. Many different service lines collaborated on this effort including pharmacy, perioperative supply chain and biomedical engineering.

Bon Secours Mercy Health won the System for Change Award, which recognizes health systems that are working cohesively to set system-wide sustainability goals, track performance data, benchmark and support intra-organizational learning and implementation within their institutions.

Major health system successes that led to the award include:

Achieving system-level recycling at Practice Greenhealth's median percentage; Bon Secours Mercy Health's average of 27 percent exceeds Practice Greenhealth's target with five Bon Secours Mercy Health hospitals performing above the 90th percentile.

Bon Secours Mercy Health eliminated the use of desflurane as an anesthetic gas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, translating to the avoidance of approximately 1,671 metric tons of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere.

"I feel very grateful that so many people across the ministry have helped to demonstrate our commitment to strengthening our connection to our mission through sustainability. Receiving such an abundance of accolades speaks volumes to the environmental stewardship within our culture. It is clear that we are a ministry that diligently cares for our common home," said Noah Dunlap, vice president of insights and innovation for Bon Secours Mercy Health and Advantus Health Partners, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bon Secours Mercy Health.

These successful initiatives illustrate the commitment Bon Secours Mercy Health has to instilling a sustainable culture in every area of health care.

"In a shifting health care landscape, a focus on sustainability can help build resilience while better protecting the health of patients and the community," said Practice Greenhouse founder Gary Cohen. "Bon Secours Mercy Health and its hospitals demonstrate the kind of leadership, innovation and performance that can drive the entire health sector toward more environmentally responsible practices."

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